Seven.

Aiden

I watch her as her eyes follow my father. Her brow creases into a frown.

“Are you okay?”

She nods her head and looks at my mother. “Could I use the bathroom?”

“Sure, it’s just down the hall on the left.”

I was going to follow her. As much as I was certain she wouldn’t try anything stupid, there was still a chance but my mother grabs hold of me.

“She doesn’t know, does she?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“You’re her mate, Aiden. She is your mate.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about.”

“I am your mother. There is only one person that you have looked at like that. And there hasn’t been another one since Ivy. Why haven’t you told her?”

“Because she’s not ready.”

“You mean you’re not.”

Maybe my mum was right. It has taken me years to get over Ivy’s death. She had sacrificed herself for me. Even though it had been years, I still wasn’t ready to accept another mate so easily.

“You should tell your father. Before it’s too late.”

“What does that mean?”

She looks away from me and presses her lips together.

“Mum? What does that mean?”

“Dom told your father that she is a killer. That is how she was raised.”

He had confirmed what Bella had already told me. I had been worried that someone would find out. 

“You know your father wants a peaceful life.”

“He is going to sentence her to death, isn’t he?”

My mother refuses to look at me, confirming my suspicions.

“Speak to your father.”

I practically fly down the hallway and slam the office door shut. “You can’t kill her.”

“Aiden, this isn’t your decision.”

“I’m telling you, you can’t.”

He stares at me with his blue eyes as he rises to his feet. “Need I remind you that I may be your father, but I am also the King.”

“You can’t kill her. She is my mate.”

He shakes his head. “Your mate?”

“She doesn’t know. She doesn’t have her Wolf yet.”

“Why haven’t you told her?”

“That’s your concern? Why haven’t I told her?”

He folds his arms across his wide chest.

“Because Ivy and I didn’t even get a proper chance to know each other before she was taken from me. I want Bella to like me for me, not because of our bond and not because I’m set to be King.”

“She will still be sentenced.”

“Are you fucking serious?”

He glares at me as I swear at him.

“She won’t receive a death sentence. Her punishment will be to live with you.”

“What kind of punishment is that?”

“It’s not, but to her, that's what it will feel like. She won’t be allowed to leave your house unless she comes here or is accompanied by you.”

“Fine, I can deal with that.” I mutter.

“And you are to take Halle!”

“WHAT?!” I love my sister but she was hard work. When she finds her mate, I will wish them all the luck in the world.

“It will be good for her. And maybe she will make a friend out of Bella. It’s the only option I’m giving you, Aiden.”

“Fine, but you can sentence her. You are still the King after all.” Rolling my eyes, I leave the office and find Bella sitting on the bottom step of the wide staircase. She had her elbows propped up on her knees with a scowl on her face.

“My father wishes to see you.”

“I’m being killed, aren’t I?”

“No.”

The scowl quickly fades as she makes her way into my fathers office.

He closes the door but I could still hear what my father was saying. It’s soon followed by a high pitched ‘WHAT! You can’t do that.’

The door flies open and she glares at me with those golden orbs. “Did you have something to do with this?”

“With what?” I mutter, pretending I had no clue what she was talking about.

“A year I have to live in your house. A whole fucking year!”

“And you can only leave if you Aiden is with you.” My father adds.

She almost looked like a cartoon. If smoke could come out of her ears, I was certain it would.

“It’s your choice. If you don’t accept, your head will be removed.” My father adds.

She looks between my father and me. And for a split second, I thought she was going to choose death.

Her arms fold across her body. Her brows dip into a deep v. “Fine!”

Leighton comes strutting in, his hands and arms covered in blood. He cocks an eyebrow at me as he spots Bella. He knew full well that she was my mate, but at least he was good at keeping his mouth shut.

“I’m Leighton.” He holds a hand out.

“Bella.” She mutters back, her eyes dropping to the blood on his hands. 

“Oh I know. Dom had quite a lot to say about you.”

“Did you burn him?” My father asks quietly.

“Of course.”

“You burn the bodies?” Bella asks with a cocked brow. 

“Too risky not to.” My father mutters

“I will explain later.” I tell her when she raises a brow at him

My mother takes great pride in getting to know Bella. She seemed to be able to push her a little more for information than I could. Maybe it was because she was a Queen and Bella felt she had to tell her.

Still, none of us knew who her family were. She always manages to skirt the issue. 

I had given my father her sister's names, but he still was none the wiser.

In the car, she sits in silence. Her eyes follow the moon as we head back to my place. As I park the car, she lets out a sigh. “A whole year?”

“You will be fine. Ask the others, I always make sure the pack is looked after.”

“I’m not a Hybrid.”

“You will still be under my care.” 

She rolls her eyes at me and stomps up the stairs to my room.

“You don’t have to make this so hard on yourself.” I mutter, dropping my keys in the bowl by the door.

“Why would he choose this? I’m not one of you.”

“Why didn’t you choose death?”

“I….” She frowns at me and stomps into the bathroom. Slamming the door so hard that it rattles in the frame.

“Bella, you don’t need to be so angry.”

She lets out an angry scream. It’s shortly followed by the sound of breaking glass.

Knocking the door through. I find her standing in front of the basin. The mirror on the wall is shattered. Her fist is covered in small cuts with shards of mirror sticking out of her hand.

“What the hell, Bella?”

“This is who I am, Aiden. Can you really live with me for a whole year?”

Grabbing the first aid kit under my desk, I pull her from the bathroom.

“Sit down.” I gesture to the sofa

She doesn’t move.

“Sit down!”

She hesitates and slowly moves to the sofa. There is so much anger in her eyes as she stares at me.

Bella doesn’t make a sound as I start removing the shards of mirror. She doesn’t flinch. She doesn’t even look away.

“Do you want something for the pain?” I knew she didn’t have her Wolf. So it must hurt.

“Does it look like I want something for the pain?” She snaps at me as I remove the remaining shard.

“I’m just trying to help.”

“I don’t need help.” She mutters. A little calmer than she was before.

“Why are you angry with me?” I ask as I clear her wound and dress it.

My grip on her arm seemed to be working.

“It’s not you.”

“Then what?”

“I shouldn’t have let myself get trapped in this. I should have found another way.”

“It was this or death. And from the short time I have known you, I can’t deny that you have a lot of fight in you.”

“That is how I was raised.”

“You don’t have to be that person anymore. Not everyone in this world is set out to hurt you.”

She gives me a look. One that says she knows, that she isn’t stupid.

She then holds her bandaged hand up to me. “I don’t need this.”

“Maybe you don’t. But I would prefer it if you kept it on.”

“Is that a threat?”

“No, Bella. Not everything I say is a threat.”

Those golden orbs met mine. She seemed confused. Almost as if she is frustrated by my kindness.

“Fine.” She whispers with a frown

There is a knock on the door and Halle barges in.

“Can you please tell Leighton that he is a man and I need his help with moving my room around.”

Leighton struts in afterwards. He had a thing for my sister. But he wasn’t particularly fond of being told what to do unless it came from me.

“Halle, you are more than capable of doing it yourself.”

“But…. You’re my brother. You are supposed to be on my side.”

“Halle!”

“Fine.”

She storms out, passing Leighton, cussing him for not helping her.

Leightons eyes flicker to Bella.

“Why the fuck are you looking at me like that?” Her fiery temper explodes from her.

“Damn, Aiden, you really know how to choose them.”

“Wait, what? What is that supposed to mean?” She marches towards us, her arms folded across her chest. “What did you mean?”

“Nothing.” Leighton mutters as I silently shake my head at him.

“Tell me!” She punches him in the stomach.

“Bella!”

“He is hiding something from me.” She glares at me

“I don’t care. You can’t go around hitting members of my pack.”

“It’s fine.” Leighton mutters. “It wasn’t like I was expecting her to be soft. She was one of Dom’s fighters.”

“Leighton, don’t wind her up.”

“You got yourself a right little firecracker.”

“Do you want me to punch you again? Or maybe I can gouge your eyes out, just like I did with the other idiot.”

Leighton purposely ignores her. “I will give you some space.”

“Yeah, you run away!” Bella yells after him

As soon as the door is closed. She demands to know what Leighton was talking about.

“He told you.”

“You’re lying.”

“Not everything is a lie. Just because you expect it to be, it doesn’t mean it is.”

Her eyes narrow to slits.

“Who had you believing everyone is a liar?”